Tina Green to face questions from MPs over BHS collapse

Tina Green, the wife of billionaire businessman Sir Philip Green, has joined her husband in being called to face MPs on two select committees to answer questions about the collapse of BHS.

Lady Green, a trustee of the company, and Sir Philip will be questioned by the work and pensions committee about where hundreds of millions of pounds went from BHS and how its £571m pension deficit will affect Britain’s Pension Protection Fund, a rescue scheme funded by contributions from other pension pots.

MPs on the business committee also want to question the couple as part of its inquiry into the sale and acquisition of BHS. Sir Philip has been asked to say when he will be available to appear “in the coming weeks” for the special joint hearing for the entrepreneur.

Dominic Chappell, who led a consortium called Retail Acquisitions that bought BHS for £1 last year, is also being called as a witness by MPs.

Frank Field, chair of the committee, said: “The spine of our inquiry is looking at how and where money went out of the company, to whom it went, and how this may have disadvantaged the pensioners.”

Leighton, a previous boss of Asda and the Royal Mail, is among up to 10 potential bidders looking at buying up to 60 BHS stores, and possibly the brand name, too. Other contenders are believed to include Sports Direct, Edinburgh Woollen Mill owner Philip Day, B&M Stores and Yousuf Bhailok, a Preston-based millionaire property owner.

Sir Philip has also been rumoured to be considering buying back the chain that he sold to the consortium led by Chappell, a former bankrupt.

Leighton was not a shareholder, but was responsible for the running of the business, which was profitable throughout his tenure and had net pension assets of £3.4m before tax in March 2008, three months after he left.